Natives of Egypt become Americans at courthouse ceremony

At a Berks County Court naturalization ceremony Wednesday are, from left, Kirllos Medhat Yacoub, 20; his brother, Marko Yacoub, 16; and their father, Medhat Fouad Yacoub, all of Exeter Township. Kirllos uses a wheelchair because he has multiple sclerosis.

A smile and a roll of his eyes heavenward expressed far better than words how Kirllos Medhat Yacoub felt about becoming an American citizen Wednesday.

The direction of those eyes - up for yes or good, down for no or bad - is how Kirllos, 20, an Exeter Township resident with cerebral palsy, communicates.

When asked if becoming a citizen was difficult, he grinned and shot his eyes upward again.

WATCH: Video from the ceremonyHe and his father, Medhat Fouad Yacoub - immigrants from Egypt - were among 36 people from 17 nations naturalized in a ceremony in the Berks County Courthouse.

Kirllos passed a special version of the citizenship test that asks all questions in a yes or no format.

Yacoub, 49, said his other children, Marko, 16, and Nardeen, 14, automatically became citizens along with him.

His wife, Gehan, 42, completed all the requirements but was unable to join the rest of the family at this swearing-in ceremony because her paperwork didn't come through in time, Yacoub said.

The family has been working on citizenship for 12 years, said Yacoub, who works for a Christian radio station in Detroit. He stays there, but returns to Exeter as often as he can, he said.

"The country gives us a lot of opportunities," he said. "Now I can give the country something like it gives us.

"I can vote and help with community events, the libraries. Marko can join the Army if he wants."

Even Kirllos benefits, Yacoub said.

"He has a better chance to be safe and accepted," he said. "We love this country. I can't express it. We were waiting 12 years for this day.

"Thank God."

Marko, who pushed Kirllos' wheelchair so his brother could accept his official papers, said the experience of becoming a citizen is indescribable.

Nardeen took the words she heard during the ceremony to heart.

"We have a lot to do, helping our community and sharing ideas with others," she said.

Keynote speaker Anne Corso, education director for the Reading Public Museum, welcomed the new citizens and told them they may find some of their culture from their birth countries at the museum.

After a performance by the Wilson High School choir, Judge Timothy J. Rowley told the new citizens they now are part of the greatest nation on earth.

"I hope you will continue to keep it great with our exchange of ideas and involvement in the community," he said.